Skills Link

Under the Youth Employment Strategy program, the Skills Link program helps youth facing barriers to employment - such as single parents, Aboriginal youth, young persons with disabilities, recent immigrants, youth living in rural and remote areas and high school dropouts - obtain the knowledge and develop the broad range of skills and work experience they need to participate in the job market. 

Skills Link offers a range of programs and services that can be tailored to meet individual needs and provide more intensive assistance over longer periods of time.

Skills Link provides a client-centred approach based on an assessment of the specific needs of individual youth. The program supports youth in developing basic and advanced employment skills. Participants benefit from a coordinated approach, providing longer term supports and services that can help them find and keep a job.

Eligible Participants

To participate in Skills Link projects, youth must be:

• between the ages of 15 and 30 (inclusive) at time of intake/selection;
• in need of assistance to overcome employment barriers;
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons on whom refugee protection has been conferred;
• out of school;
• legally entitled to work according to relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations; and
• not in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

Who Can Be A Recipient

• Businesses
• Crown corporations
• organizations (including not-for-profit, professional, employer and labour associations)
• public health and educational institutions
• band/tribal councils and
• municipal governments.

How To Apply

Interested employers should contact their local Service Canada Centre and consult the Youth Employment Strategy Guide for Applicants. The guide helps applicants develop proposals for federal funding offered by Service Canada under the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. It also sets out the specific roles and responsibilities that must be met in projects approved for funding.

The guide provides information about the three programs under the Youth Employment Strategy:

• Skills Link (this page)
• Career Focus 
• Summer Work Experience  

Interested youth should contact their local Service Canada Centre for more information and to find out how to apply.

How Are Projects Selected?

Project selection is based on local community needs, innovative approaches, targeted participant selection, relevant skills enhancement and work experience, possibility of long-term employment, contributions of sponsors/partners and funding availability.

Other Federal Government Departments Delivering Skills Link

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada  

More information for employers

More information for youth

About the Youth Employment Strategy

Thirteen Government of Canada departments and agencies work in partnership with business, labour, industry, not-for-profit and voluntary organizations, rural and remote communities and all levels of government to help young people get the information and develop the skills and work experience they need to prepare for and participate in the world of work. Read more about this initiative  or call the Youth Info Line at 1 800 935-5555.